Stratford upon Avon with kids - what to do?

[CocktailQueen]

We're going to stratford this week for 2 days. Dc are 6 and 10. What can we do?

Is the town walk worth doing? Which museum is best?

And also, is it flooded at the moment?

Thanks!

Firstly

"Put money in thy purse." The Shakespeare premium on everything is shocking.

Unfortunately a lot of the good stuff is rather out of doors. Are you seeing a play?

Mad Museum is wonderful

Lots of lovey costumes to look at in the theatre - I went recently with my mum and we spent ages looking at them. Also, the bar/coffee bar in The Swan theatre has a nice kids' area - grab a coffee for yourself and let them entertain themselves for an hour!

My DD enjoyed the Butterfly Farm (but she is 4).

I lived there for years, and I don't think I went to any museums

Out of doors is fine! What should we see?

There is a really good play area over the river, past the butterfly farm. Nice walk along river, past Holy Trinity Church, down lane, over river bridge and then back to play area and back into town. Mary Arden's House is just outside town: www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit-the-houses/mary-ardens-farm.html.

Mary Arden's House appears to be closed until March 17th.

The Mad Museum looks really good and we were going to go but DS was scared of it

There's a Witch/Wizard style shop, similar to Harry Potter but a bit darker - DS was scared of that too but I could understand that, it was a bit spooky!

Probably too early in the season to sit in the park and watch the street entertainers, unfortunately. Make sure you go into the Christmas shop - very weird (although perhaps too close to Christmas to get the full effect!)

Butterfly farm is lovely but expensive!

It's not flooded at the moment. And yes, Mary Arden's please is closed til mid-March.

Place

Thanks!

No, we're not seeing a play. The dc have done/will do Tudors at school so wanted to wander round and let them see some Tudor houses.

The play area and walk sound good!

Oh heavens. You're determined not to wait till Easter aren't you?

Ok. You'll want the Shakespeare Centre and Anne Hathaway's Cottage (wonderful semi-wild grounds, orchard etc as well as house.) There are at least a couple of other houses under the same management. Be sure to get the ticket that covers all of them (if still available) otherwise you will have to sell your house to pay for entrances (even if you are billionaires. Truth.)

There's a sweet little boat tour going past significant sites. But I wouldn't want to be on it now.

The falstaff's experience is a museum, with a 'tudor world' in it. Never been so I can't comment on how good it is, but hope to visit this week, as DD2 is also doing tudors at school

Have booked a hotel for Thurs eve, Zero, that's why we're going now. Will get dh to sell some shares to realise some assets in time for then!!!

Thanks :)

I'm sure you'll all have a great time!

If you feel like venturing further out and like art or lovely grounds hop over to

here. Absolutely fabulous and very child friendly. Highlight of our last trip.

Our teens and their younger cousins really enjoyed the Harry Potter-esque thing. It's very small but they enjoyed 'scaring' each other. Buttlerfly Farm good too (if you don't mind horrible creeping things with horrible skinny legs and big flapping wings landing on you - shiver).

The falstaff's experience is a museum, with a 'tudor world' in it. Never been so I can't comment on how good it is, but hope to visit this week, as DD2 is also doing tudors at school

I've not been but recommend it on the biased basis that my friend works there. He also does guided tours (dressed as Shakespeare).
My review (of somewhere I haven't been) may be biased!

Thanks all!!

Just got back. Had a lovely time - stayed in the premier inn by the canal, which was lively.

Did the riverside walk and the kids loved the playground. Thank you, Garden Feature! Also visited the butterfly farm, which was good, and Tudor World museum. - sadly, DS was scared and didn't enjoy it - he's 6 and it was quite gory. Also, it's one of the oldest houses in stratford but inside there was no sense of that as it was all little Tudor rooms - schoolroom, boat, torture chamber, rich house, poor house etc - anyway, dd enjoyed it.

Walked round and saw all the fab Tudor buildings, visited the Xmas shop, had a drink in the oldest pub in stratford, enjoyed the riverside walk and visited holy trinity church. All good stuff! Lovely. Will go back when dc are older to see a play and do some of Shakespeare's houses!

The park is amazing!! Tons of things to play in and free. Grab yourself a coffee from the kiosk and let them run